You Go, Girls: 6 Women Who Rocked The Film World This Year

Sally Field

Next to the rising stars of such young talents as Lena Dunham and Quvenzhané Wallis, Sally Field may seem like an off-the-wall pick. But there is still reason to take note of this fantastic actress. As they get older, female actresses often find less and less roles in Hollywood, and no one can attest to this more than Field.

"The roles that I've really cared about I've always had to fight for," she revealed in an interview about how she almost lost the role of Mrs. Lincoln.

Steven Spielberg originally offered her the role in 2005, but by the time they were in production, the part of Lincoln had been handed from Liam Neeson to Daniel Day-Lewis, and Spielberg felt that Field, who is ten years Day-Lewis's senior, would not fit the part anymore. Field insisted that she would audition again for Spielberg, but it was not until she and Daniel improvised together that she proved herself for the role. [Sally Field at the Lincoln Premiere via]